It was a tale of two narratives in Race 2 of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as Wyatt Brichaek redeemed himself with a victory in the P3 class aboard the No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, while early trouble for Westin Workman allowed Ismaeel Ellahi to score his first series victory in the GSX class in the CSM-prepared No. 25 Aston Martin Vantage AM.
Brichaek, who started from pole for the second consecutive race, avoided the costly mistake that derailed his chances in Race 1 when he changed lanes before crossing the start line. This time, Brichaek controlled the race from the outset and never looked back, leading all 32 laps to secure the victory.
Championship leader Oscar Tunjo finished second aboard the No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport Duqueine D09, while Brichaek’s teammate, Bijoy Garg, completed the P3 podium with a third-place finish in the No. 30 Ligier JS P325.
While the P3 podium battle was relatively straightforward, the GSX class took a dramatic turn early in the race when issues struck Westin Workman’s RAFA Racing No. 8 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO. Workman attempted to get the car refired, but the GSX championship leader was unable to continue and ultimately retired after just three laps, ending his perfect season.
Workman’s misfortune opened the door for a three-way battle for the victory between Ellahi, Courtney Crone in the No. 35 CarBahn Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO, and Canadian native Justin Di Benedetto in his family-owned No. 4 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS.
The trio battled throughout the remaining 40 minutes of the race and were bunched back together by a full-course yellow with less than 16 minutes remaining. Crone made one final charge on the closing lap, but Ellahi maintained his composure and held on to claim the top step of the podium in the GSX class.
Crone finished second following the spirited battle for the victory, while Di Benedetto rounded out the podium with a third-place finish in front of his home crowd.
The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge returns to action in one month’s time for the season finale of the Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Road America on Aug. 14-16. The P3 and GSX classes will then reunite for their penultimate weekend of the season at VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 21-23.
